SURPRISE, Ariz. -- Cody Bradford came into Spring Training hoping to earn a spot in the Rangers’ starting rotation.
The 26-year-old knew he could and would do whatever the team asked of him, but he’s been a starter his entire career. Though he became a swingman of sorts in his debut season with the Rangers, he was focused on making his way back to being a full-time starter. He’s said as much all spring long.
“[I love] the responsibility that comes with it,” Bradford said early in camp. “I just love the dynamic of trying to play chess with guys. I really enjoy that. So as a cerebral pitcher, I'd love to be a starter.”
It seems he’s done exactly what he needed to do in the eyes of general manager Chris Young.
“Cody has pitched his way into the rotation,” Young said. “Cody is in the rotation and Cody is on schedule and he's in the rotation. He's done great. He's one of our starting pitchers.”
Manager Bruce Bochy hesitated to commit to any roles just yet, while also admitting that Bradford has been built up as a starter, is lined up at the back end of the rotation, and has done everything he can to earn a spot in the rotation.
“I think you look at last year, what he did, and you look at what he’s been doing this spring and how he’s been throwing the ball,” Bochy said. “You guys asked me the other day if I liked the rotation. Yeah, I do. He’s part of it. We feel confident that he's going to give us a chance to win when he hits the mound. I just love how he competes. As much as anything, he is really a tough competitor.”
Bradford posted a 5.30 ERA in 56 innings in his debut MLB season. He appeared in 20 games, starting eight of them, and recorded 51 strikeouts compared to just 12 walks. As a starter, his ERA was 6.95, though it shrank considerably to 2.82 when coming out of the bullpen.
He then became a key piece of the bullpen during the Rangers’ World Series run, allowing just one run in 7 2/3 innings over five postseason appearances.
Entering Saturday’s Cactus League start against the D-backs, Bradford had allowed just three runs in 11 innings across four appearances (three starts) this spring. He was the losing pitcher in a 5-4 loss against Arizona, allowing four runs in five innings with a lot of hard contact.
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Bradford said until this start, he felt like his camp had gone as well as it could have, in terms of earning a spot in the rotation.
“I think today didn't quite go how the rest of my Spring Training has gone,” Bradford said. “But up until today, I'd like to think I put myself in a good position to at least have that option [of being in the rotation]. It's out of my control. And again, I've said it before, whatever the team needs, I’ll fill that role.”
Bradford will slot into the rotation behind Nathan Eovaldi, Jon Gray, Andrew Heaney and Dane Dunning, with Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer and Tyler Mahle all delayed until at least summer with various injuries.
Jordan Montgomery, whom the Rangers acquired to bolster the rotation at the 2023 Trade Deadline, remains unsigned in his first foray into free agency, but the club appears content to head into its title defense with the rotation as is.
Questions have rightfully arisen throughout camp about the Rangers’ relative lack of depth in the first half of the season, but Young reiterated multiple times that he is confident where the club is pitching-wise with Opening Day right around the corner.
“This is the group we have,” Young said. “I said this three weeks ago, but nothing has changed. The group we have is the group we have. They're a great group …. I'm very optimistic, I believe in the group and I think you should too.”